The invention relates to an adjustable padding device for a piece of furniture used for sitting and/or lying upon.
Padding devices for a piece of furniture used for sitting and/or lying upon are generally known, for example, in the form of a combination of a separate mattress with a separate slatted frame. A disadvantage of this known combination of slatted frame and mattress exists in that, as a rule, the slatted frame does not match the mattress in its suspension properties. This results in a loss of comfort for the user.
Furthermore, adjustable slatted frames are known, which may include adjusting means for adjusting at least one part of the slatted frame in its inclination and/or its height. These slatted frames are, however, also used with separate mattresses so that, in turn, it is not possible to match the mattress to the slatted frame and this likewise results in a loss of comfort for the user.
The invention is based on the object of providing a padding device for a piece of furniture used for sitting and/or lying upon, in which the comfort and ergonomic characteristics are improved.
This object is achieved by the an adjustable padding device for a piece of furniture used for one of sitting and lying upon, including at least one flat, elastically deformable padding element. At least one adjustable supporting device, the adjustable supporting device including a base frame for flat support of the at least one deformable padding element. The at least one padding element being attached to the supporting device to form a unit, an electromotive adjusting element arranged on the supporting device for adjusting at least one part of the supporting device in one of its inclination and its height, and the electromotive adjusting element being integrated into the unit made of the at least one adjustable padding element and the supporting device.
The basic idea of the teaching according to the invention comprises attaching the padding element, for example, a mattress, to the supporting device, for example a slatted frame, and to the adjusting means to form a unit. In this manner, an optimal adaptation of the supporting device to the padding element is facilitated, thereby improving the comfort for the user. The thickness of the padding element may be chosen, for example, such that the suspension properties of the padding device are determined mainly by the suspension properties of the supporting device. Moreover, the padding element may be adapted to the adjusting possibilities of the supporting device.
Since the padding element is attached to the supporting device, transport and handling with respect to conventional padding devices, in which the padding element and the supporting device are designed as separate units, are considerably simplified.
The padding device according to the invention is simple and can be manufactured at a reasonable price and is versatile.
The attachment of the padding element to the supporting device and to the adjusting means to form a unit may be accomplished, for example, by attaching the or each padding element to the supporting device in a detachable manner, and by providing the holding means for holding the or each padding element to the supporting device, as a suitable development of the teaching according to the invention provides. In this case, the holding means may be designed in any suitable manner.
A particularly advantageous development of the teaching according to the invention provides for the or each padding element to be firmly attached to the supporting device. In this manner, the structure of the padding device according to the invention is designed in a particularly simple manner. The padding element and the supporting device may be firmly connected to one another in any suitable manner during the manufacture of the padding device according to the invention.
A development of the aforementioned embodiment provides for the or each padding element to be glued or foamed onto the supporting device. In this embodiment, the manufacture of the padding device according to the invention is simplified further.
Another development of the teaching according to the invention provides for the adjusting means to be arranged substantially completely between an upper delimiting plane and a lower delimiting plane of the supporting device. In this manner, the adjusting means do not project beyond the supporting device, so that only a slight overall height of the supporting device, and consequently, also of the padding device, results.
The adjusting means may be designed in any suitable manner. Suitably, the adjusting means may include at least an electromotive adjusting driving gear, in particular at least a linear driving gear. Linear driving gears, in particular, are available as simple, reasonably priced and robust standard components, so that the padding device according to the invention is altogether reasonably priced and robustly designed.
Another embodiment of the teaching according to the invention provides for the base frame to include longitudinal beams at a distance to one another, and at its ends in longitudinal direction, crossbars, and for the longitudinal beams and/or the crossbars, on its side facing the padding element, to include bearing areas made of an elastic material, on which the padding element lies. Through appropriate selection of the elastic material, the suspension properties of the padding device may be influenced.
In the aforementioned embodiment, the bearing areas are suitably designed strip-shaped.
Another suitable embodiment provides for the base frame to include on its side facing the padding element springy slats at a distance to one another, particularly made of wood, on which the padding element lies. In this embodiment, the supporting device is configured like a slatted frame.
An extraordinarily advantageous development of the embodiments with the bearing areas and the slats provides for recesses to be formed in the bearing areas, into which the slats engage with their free ends. In this embodiment, the slats are held between the base frame of the supporting device and the padding element so that separate holding means for holding the slats to the base frame are not necessary. This simplifies the design of the padding device and makes its manufacture more reasonably priced.
In the aforementioned embodiment, the recesses are advantageously shaped in a substantially complementary manner to the free ends of the slats, so that the slats are held in an interlocking manner in the recesses.
Another suitable development of the embodiments with the bearing areas and the slats provides for the areas of the free ends of the slats facing the padding element to substantially align with the adjacent bearing areas. In this embodiment, the ends of the slats with the adjacent bearing areas form a continuous bearing area for the padding element, which for example may be glued to this continuous bearing area, and may consequently be securely attached to the supporting device.
It is basically possible to provide elastic material between the slats and the longitudinal beams of the base frame, and in such a way, influence the suspension properties of the padding element. However, the slats suitably lie on the longitudinal beams of the base frame so that the longitudinal beams form the support for the slats and the suspension properties of the padding device are consequently solely dependent on the suspension properties of the slats and of the padding element.
In the embodiment with the bearing areas made of elastic material, the elastic material is suitably a synthetic foam, as an embodiment provides. This further simplifies the manufacture of the padding device according to the invention.
The longitudinal beams and/or the crossbars may also be wrapped with the synthetic foam, as an embodiment provides.
The shape, size and design of the base frame of the supporting device are to a large extent selectable. The base frame of the supporting device suitably may include a first supporting part and at least a second supporting part for flat support of the padding element, the first supporting part and the second supporting part being attached to one another with a hinge and being pivotable relative to one another through the adjusting means. In this embodiment, the first supporting part and the second supporting part are adjustable to one another in their inclination.
A suitable development of the aforementioned embodiment provides for the first supporting part to be formed by a middle supporting part and for the second supporting part to be formed by an upper body supporting part, and for a leg supporting part to be provided, which is attached with a hinge to the middle supporting part on its side away from the upper body supporting part and is attached pivotably around a swivel pin substantially parallel to the swivel pin of the upper body supporting part. This embodiment facilitates an adjustment of the padding device in the upper body area as well as in the leg area of a user, thereby improving the ergonomics.
A development of the aforementioned embodiment provides for a head supporting part, which is attached with a hinge to the upper body supporting part on its side away from the middle supporting part and is attached pivotably around a swivel pin substantially parallel to the swivel pin of the head supporting part. Another development provides for a calf supporting part, which is attached with a hinge to the leg supporting part on its side away from the middle supporting part and is attached pivotably around a swivel pin substantially parallel to the swivel pin of the leg supporting part. In the two aforementioned forms of embodiment, the ergonomics is further improved in that additional adjustment possibilities are created in the region of the head and/or of the calf of the user.
The padding element with the supporting device and the adjusting means is advantageously accommodated in a common casing, which preferably substantially completely surrounds the unit made of the padding element and the supporting device with the adjusting means. In this manner, the supporting device and the adjusting means are completely covered and are no longer visible. The padding device according to the invention thereby imparts the optical impression of a conventional mattress without an adjustable slatted frame.
A development of the aforementioned embodiment provides for the casing to include at least one sealable opening, such that the adjusting means are accessible through the opening or the openings. This facilitates maintenance of the adjusting means or the replacement of parts in the event of a defect.
It is basically possible to stitch up, and if required, to undo the seam of the opening or openings, for example. The opening is or the openings are suitably sealable through a zipper, a hook-and-loop (e.g., Velcro(copyright)) fastener, or the like. This facilitates, if requires, the access to the adjusting means and facilitates in a simple manner a resealing of the openings.
The casing may be made of any suitable material. The casing is suitably formed by a cover made of a textile material, as a development provides. In this manner, an absorption of moisture by the padding element is made possible and the padding device according to the invention is consequently designed to breathe.
The shape, size, and design of the padding element according to the invention are to a large extent selectable. Depending on the use, several padding elements may also be provided. If the piece of furniture used for sitting and/or lying upon is a bed or a couch, it is suitable for the padding element to be a mattress, as an embodiment provides.
A piece of furniture used for sitting and/or lying upon provided with a padding device according to the invention may include any of the padding devices or elements described herein.
The invention will be explained more precisely in the following with the help of the attached drawings.